OHL champion Owen Sound was eliminated from the Memorial Cup tonight after losing a tiebreaker game vs. WHL champion Kootenay, 7-3. The Attack beat the Ice 5-0 in their first game of the tournament, but with stars Joey Hishon (Avalanche) and Garret Wilson (Panthers) both out with concussions, they didnâ€™t have a lot to offer. They certainly tried, holding a 2-0 lead after the first period, but Kootenay exploded for three goals in the second period and four in the third to advance to the semifinals vs. tournament host Mississauga.

This marked the final game of the season for Lightning prospects Geoffrey Schemitsch and Michael Zador. After missing several weeks at the end of the regular season due to a broken arm, Schemitsch was finding his groove late in the playoffs. He is all but set to return to Owen Sound next season. Zador, who didnâ€™t dress again Thursday, likely played his last game as a Lightning prospect. The 2009 draft choice must be signed by June 1 and all indications are heâ€™ll be allowed to re-enter the draft. Zador has great size and superb raw skills, and was drafted in front of Jaroslav Janus by the Bolts, but he just struggles to stop the puck consistently. The signing of NCAA free agent Pat Nagle by the Lightning earlier this spring probably sealed Zadorâ€™s fate with the Bolts.

Speaking of deadlines, we learned from the Lightning today that overager Teigan Zahn of Saskatoon does not have to be signed by June 1 to retain his rights. Zahn, like all of the 2010 draftees, must be given a "bona fide offer" to maintain his rights for another year, but he is not in danger of being lost. The rugged character defenseman is out of junior eligibility so he could be signed by the Lightning's AHL affiliate to a one year contract.

Today the Norfolk Admirals announced the signing of Adam Janosik's teammate, Philip-Michael Devos of Gatineau, to a two-year AHL contract. Devos was the Q's leading scorer this year with 47 goals and 114 points in 68 games.

Schemitsch and Zador were the last two Lightning prospects playing this season, so the 2010-2011 prospect season has come to a close. Thank you for your faithful readership and keep up with us for Lightning analysis and pre-draft coverage.

Gatineau held serve at home, winning games three and four by a combined 10-2 score. The Olympiques scored once in the first and three times in the second period to be up comfortably entering the third period. They were up 6-0 under three minutes into the final period. Adam Janosik notched his fourth point of the playoffs in the win. This game, as is to be expected with a lopsided score in the third period, got chippy late with a hoard of roughing penalties. Game 5 is Friday at the home of the Volts.

Mullinâ€™s assist gave him 60 points for the year, good enough to finish seventh in the league scoring race. That race was won by Mullinâ€™s future Miami-Ohio teammate Blake Coleman (undrafted) of Indiana, who had 92 points â€“ 17 more than anyone else in the league. No.4 Fargoâ€™s recent stretch of sub-par play means they wonâ€™t get a first round bye in the playoffs. Theyâ€™re set to meet Lincoln for a best of three series starting Friday in Fargo. All games will be played in North Dakota. Considering the Force had a better road record than at home, that might not be a good thing.

Gatineau will go home for games three and four of the series in a 0-2 hole. Drummondville scored twice in the first period Saturday and cruised to a 3-0 win. Game 3 â€“ a must-win game for the Olympiques â€“ is Tuesday.

Second-seeded Montreal is a Game 1 overtime goal away from being down 0-2 to eighth-seeded Lewiston in their QMJHL quarterfinals series. Olivier Dame-Malka (undrafted) scored four times Saturday to lead the MAINEiacs to a 6-2 win. Lightning prospect Charles Landry has points in consecutive games. Game 3 is Tuesday in Maine.

Geoffrey Schemitsch (pictured) scored his first two points of the playoffs en route to First Star honors in Game 2 as the Attack took a 2-0 lead on Plymouth in their conference semifinal series. Michael Zador, the reigning CHL Goaltender of the Week, was pulled after the second period of Game 1 in favor of Scott Stajcer. Stajcer played all of Game 2 and Zador was relegated to the bleachers as a healthy scratch. Game 3 is Monday in Ontario.

Tri-Cityâ€™s 5â€™8â€ goaltender Drew Owsley (undrafted) stopped 34 of 35 shots to steal Game 1 for the Americans and give his team home ice advantage in the series. If there was good news for Spokane, leading scorer Tyler Johnson was back on the ice after he was injured in Game 3 vs. Chilliwack. Neither Johnson nor fellow Lightning prospect Carter Ashton registered a point in Game 1. Game 2 is Sunday in Spokane.

Saskatoon fell to 2-4 in their last six games and now find themselves with a tough uphill climb down 0-2 to fourth-seeded Kootenay going to the Iceâ€™s home barn for the next two games. On Saturday, Kings super-prospect Brayden Schenn scored with just over a minute left in regulation for Saskatoon to tie the game, but the Iceâ€™s Joe Antilla (undrafted) potted the overtime winner with 1:28 left in the extra session. Game 3 is Tuesday.

Mullinâ€™s 23rd goal of the season gave the Force a 1-0 lead in the second period, but Fargo gave up two in the third and fell to visiting Omaha. Mullin, who has six points in his last three games, led the team with nine shots on goal Friday. Fargo cannot finish higher than fourth in the East, but could fall to fifth as Lincoln is one point behind and both have one game remaining in the regular season.

David Rose (undrafted) scored at 4:52 of overtime to give Montreal a Game 1 win over Lewiston, who had tied the game with 30 seconds remaining in regulation. Lightning prospect Charles Landry earned his first assist of the post-season in his fifth game. His plus-9 rating is second on the club for the playoffs. Game 2 is Saturday in Montreal.

Saskatoon ran away with the best record in the WHL during the regular season, but is 2-3 in their last five games. Friday night could have been worse, the East's No.2 seed Red Deer lost 9-1 at home to No.3 Medicine Hat. Zahn, the Bladesâ€™ captain, had his third assist of the postseason Friday. Game 2 is Saturday in Saskatoon.

Guelph had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in Game 6, but needed three late goals just to pull within one score of the higher seeded Spirit. The Storm also had a series lead of 2-1, but couldnâ€™t win Game 4 and eventually lost the series. Panik, who had another check-to the head penalty, can now join the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL again since his team is finished. Panikâ€™s junior career is also over. He is expect to play for Norfolk or Tampa Bay next season. Step 1 is a contract, however.

Zador (pictured) is taking the No.1 job and running with it. The former London Knight first rounder stopped 23 of 23 shots Sunday to shut out the Knights and help the Attack advance to the second round of the playoffs. Zador was part of Londonâ€™s trade that brought John Tavares to the Knights from Oshawa. The Gens traded Zador to Owen Sound this season when the Attack was looking for a backup goaltender. Zador had fallen to No.3 in Oshawa. Owen Sound is the first team from the Western Conference to advance.

Top-seeded Saskatoon got an overtime goal from Matej Stransky (2011) to finally put away the pesky Raiders. Prince Albert goaltender Jamie Tucker turned the puck over in overtime when a Blades player yelled â€œTucks!â€ Tucker thought it was a teammate and handed the puck to him and before he knew it, the puck was in the net. Saskatoon will play either Kootenay or Brandon in Round 2.

Mullin scored shorthanded and into an empty net to give him 22 goals on the year. He also added two assists and was plus-4. Not a bad night. Fargo remains in fourth in the conference, but are two points out of second. They have two home games left next weekend before the playoffs start.

Saginaw scored the tie-breaking goal just past the half-way point of the third period and held on for a Game 5 win over Guelph. Panik was penalized for a check to the head at the 20:00 mark of the third period. Two other Guelph players were also penalized after the final horn. No Spirit players were called for an infraction at that time. Game 6 is Sunday in Guelph.

Zador, who was once a first round pick of London, got the start in the pivotal Game 5 for Owen Sound and didnâ€™t disappoint, stopping 13 of 13 shots before leaving the game midway through the third period. It was his first career playoff win. The Attackâ€™s usual No.1 keeper, Jordan Binnington, didnâ€™t dress for the game. Heâ€™s been shaky this series and was pulled in favor of Zador in Game 4. There are no reports of an injury to Zador, so itâ€™s likely he was pulled in the third period with the game out of hand to prevent an injury.

"I felt like it was just an every day game, I was comfortable," Zador told the Owen Sound Sun Times after the game. "Our team played great in front of me so I'm really happy how it turned out. I'm just going to take it day-to-day and keep playing the way I am right now."

The Knights only had 14 shots in Game 5 despite having four power plays. Game 6 is Sunday in London.

Johnson missed his second full game with a head injury. His Chiefs teammates were able to overcome playing without their leading scorer and eliminated the Bruins in five games. This may have been the last time the Bruins represented Chilliwack as reports state a move to Victoria is expected. Spokane will face Lightning prospect Carter Ashton and Tri-City in the next round starting next Saturday. Hopefully the week off allows enough time for Johnson to recover.

After seeing their 2-0 series lead disappear at the home of eighth-seeded Prince Albert, Saskatoon made a statement in Game 5, destroying the Raiders 8-0. The Blades scored six times in the second period to break a 0-0 tie. Game 6 is Sunday in Prince Albert.

Mullin has just one assist in his last three games, two of those being losses. Fargo has clinched a playoff spot despite a mediocre 13-11-3 home record. They are in fourth in the West, but are two points out of second place.

Guelph had a chance to go up 3-1 at home as underdogs in their series and held a 2-0 lead going into the second period before giving up four goals in the middle stanza. The pivotal Game 5 is Saturday in Michigan.

Zador entered the game down 5-1 at 8:02 of the third period and was perfect for the remainder of the game. The Knights pounded Top seeded Owen Sound is struggling with London as the series goes back to Owen Sound for Game 5 Saturday.

Johnson missed the game due to an injury sustained when he was elbowed by Chilliwackâ€™s Tyler Stahl in the second period of Game 3. Stahl was suspended for Thursdayâ€™s game. No timetable has been given for Johnsonâ€™s return. Spokane was able to overcome not playing with the WHLâ€™s leading goal scorer and second leading point producer in Game 4, but unless Johnson returns, their shot at the conference and/or league titles is in jeopardy. The Bruins have their own distractions now since there are heavy rumors the team is moving to Victoria, B.C. after being sold. The Chiefs can close it out Saturday at home in Game 5.

The WHLâ€™s top team, Saskatoon, now finds themselves tied with upstart Prince Albert 2-2 in their conference quarterfinals series. The Raiders outshot the Blades by a wide margin (41-30) for the second straight game. Game 5 is Saturday in Saskatoon.

[b][i]QMJHL[/b][/i]
[b]QMJHL First Round [/b]
[b] No.5 Gatineau Olympiques 4 @ No. 12 Rimouski Oceanic 3 (OT)[/b]
[i]Gatineau leads best of seven series 3-1[/i]
[i]D [b][url=/adam-janosik]Adam Janosik[/url][/b], GAT: 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM, 3 SOG, 1 Hit[/i]
Season Totals: 60 GP, 7-25-32, +17, 37 PIM
Playoff Totals: 4 GP, 1-2-3, -2, 4 PIM
Jean-Gabriel Pageau (2011) scored his third goal of the series at 5:41 of overtime to lift Gatineau to a Game 4 win over Rimouski. Game 5 is Friday in Gatineau.
[b] No.2 Montreal Juniors 4 @ No.15 Halifax Mooseheads 2 [/b]
[i]Montreal wins best of seven series 4-0[/i]
[i]D [b][url=/charles-landry]Charles Landry[/url][/b], MTL: 0-0-0, +1, 4 PIM (roughing, checking from behind), 3 SOG, 0 Hits[/i]
Season Totals: 57 GP, 11-29-40, +26, 30 PIM
Playoff Totals: 4 GP, 1-0-1, +6, 8 PIM
Montreal made quick work of the Mooseheads, sweeping them in four games. Landry finished the series plus-6. The top four teams in the Q all swept their opponents, as did No.11 seed Victoriaville, who swept the Titan 4-0. In this new format, all teams are re-seeded in the second round, so the Juniors will play the second-lowest seed to come out; likely No.8 Lewiston, who is up 3-1 on Moncton.
[i][b]WHL[/b][/i]
[b]Western Conference Quarterfinals[/b]
[b] No.4 Tri-City Americans 5 @ No.5 Vancouver Giants 1[/b]
[i] Tri-City wins best of seven series 4-0[/i]
[i]RW [b][url=/carter-ashton]Carter Ashton[/url][/b], TC: 1-1-2, +1, 0 PIM[/i]
Season Totals: 62 GP, 33-38-71, -6, 106 PIM
Playoff Totals: 4 GP, 2-1-3, +2, 2 PIM
Carter Ashton scored his second game winning goal of the series as the Americans made a clean sweep of the Giants in their conference quarterfinal series. Vancouver, needing a win to stay alive, only registered 18 shots in the game as they went out with a whimper. Ashtonâ€™s goal came in the late first period on the power play.
[b]Western Conference Quarterfinals [/b]
[b] No.2 Kelowna Rockets 4 @ No.7 Prince George Cougars 2 [/b]
[i] Kelowna wins best of seven series 4-0[/i]
[i]RW [b][url=/brett-connolly]Brett Connolly[/url][/b], PG: Did not play (injured - shoulder) [/i]
Season Totals: 59 GP, 46-27-73, -5, 26 PIM
Playoff Totals: 1 GP, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM
The Cougars outshot the Rockets for the second straight game, but without their captain, leading scorer, and star player Brett Connolly, they couldnâ€™t put the puck in the net enough and now are done for the year. Connolly missed all but half of a period in the series due to a shoulder separation. If heâ€™s healthy, he can join the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL since Prince George is finished, but thatâ€™s a big â€œifâ€ and Lightning GM Steve Yzerman may not want him rushing back into play to risk further injury. Despite missing a couple weeks with a knee injury, it was a successful year for Connolly, who flirted with 50 goals and played for Team Canada at the World Junior Tournament. Yzerman told the Tampa Tribune recently Connolly must get stronger if he is to play at the NHL level. Next year Connolly will either be back in Prince George or in Tampa with the Lightning as he cannot begin a season in the AHL until 2012, after he turns 20.
[b]Western Conference Quarterfinals[/b]
[b]No.7 Chilliwack Bruins 4 @ No.2 Spokane Chiefs 3 (OT) [/b]
[i] Spokane leads best of seven series 2-1[/i]
[i]C [b][url=/tyler-johnson]Tyler Johnson[/url][/b], SPO: 1-1-2, +1, 0 PIM [/i]
Season Totals: 71 GP, 53-62-115, +27, 48 PIM
Playoff Totals: 3 GP, 2-2-4, +1, 0 PIM
Johnson had a goal and an assist, but was knocked out of the game in the second period after being elbowed by Chilliwackâ€™s Tyler Stahl (pictured â€“ Spokesman Review photo). Spokane had just scored to go up 3-0 when the incident occurred. Johnson, who had an assist on the goal being scored when the hit took place, is listed as questionable for Game 4. Stahl was given a major penalty and game misconduct and now faces a possible suspension. The Bruins scored the gameâ€™s next four goals. Kevin Sundher (Sabres) had both the game tying and overtime winning goals for the Bruins. Game 4 is Thursday in Spokane. The series is following a 2-3-1-1-1 format.
[b]Eastern Conference Quarterfinals[/b]
[b] No.1 Saskatoon Blades 3 @ No.8 Prince Albert Raiders 6[/b]
[i] Saskatoon leads best of seven series 2-1[/i]
[i]D [b][url=/teigan-zahn]Teigan Zahn[/url][/b], SAS: 0-0-0, -2, 0 PIM[/i]
Season Totals: 72 GP, 3-20-23, +39, 133 PIM
Playoff Totals: 3 GP, 0-2-2 +1, 2 PIM
The Raiders came out flying, outshooting the Blades 22-6 in the first period, but needed a three goal third period to beat the WHLâ€™s best team 6-3. Zahn was scoreless after his First Star award and two assists in Game 2. Brandon Herrod (undrafted) had two goals and was First Star for the Raiders. Game 4 is Thursday in Prince Albert.

Yes, you read that right. On a team full of stars, Teigan Zahn was First Star tonight for Saskatoon in their Game 2 win over Prince Albert. Zahn is now at a point-per-game pace for the playoffs. Sure, itâ€™s just two games, but Zahn, a rugged defenseman known more for his fists and leadership, is a PPGer officially. Game 3 is Wednesday in Prince Albert.

Janosik (pictured) had a power play assist in the first period. Gatineau led 2-0 before allowing two third period goals to the Oceanic. Tye McGinn (Flyers) scored in overtime for the Olympiques. Game 3 is Tuesday in Rimouski.

Top-seeded Owen Sound is a Game 1 overtime goal away from being down 2-0 to eighth-seeded London. The Knights scored three second period goals and Michael Houser (2011) stopped 52 shots in the win. Game 3 is Tuesday in Owen Sound.

TC held their one goal lead throughout the third period to win the game and take a 2-0 series lead. Emotions ran high as there was a full line brawl, including goalies, when the final horn sounded. Game 3 is Tuesday in Vancouver.

Connolly left Game 1 in the first period with an apparent shoulder injury. He did not dress for Game 2. The Tampa Tribune reported Connolly has a shoulder separation, but Lightning GM Steve Yzerman said he was unsure how long Connolly would be out. PG had a 4-2 lead in Game 2 before Kelowna exploded for the gameâ€™s final five goals, including four in the third period. Game 3 is Tuesday in Prince George.